Alcons Audio’s pro-ribbon LR28 and LR18 systems were used on the Main Stage of Dance Valley festival in the Netherlands this year, marking one of the system's first outings.

Supplied by event production company Jurlights, the main and delay systems comprised 48 LR28s plus 40 BC543 cardioid subs. 60 LR18s were used for frontfills, outfills and delays, with VR12 mid-size versatile monitors and BQ211 compact, high-output subs used for the VIP area. 57 Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers powered the system.

“The promoters were so impressed with the LR28/LR18 system at the early soundchecks, they booked it for 2018 on the spot,” said Jurlights founder Jurjen ‘Jur’ Hesseling.

“We like the best people and the best equipment because of the talent, passion and dedication that drives them,” he added. “We put our heart and soul into production and Alcons does the same with sound. Neither company wants to do things down to a price, we both want our clients to go, Wow!"

Added Alcons Audio co-founder Tom Back: “Historically, many people have believed that pro-ribbon technology is not suitable for the largest events. We designed the LR28 from the ground up and the challenging dynamic range and SPL levels of the music meant that Dance Valley was the ideal event where we could prove the doubters wrong.”

We liked the sound quality of the Alcons system very much.

- Guido van den Berk

Guido van den Berk of Dance Valley, Dutch Valley and Latin Village production company The Good Guyz said: “We liked the sound quality of the Alcons system very much. The exceptional rear rejection was also very noticeable. This is a very important feature for events in the urban areas or with many stages close together, especially as the social debate about noise from festivals and events is becoming an increasingly important aspect in license applications.”

To maximise the opportunities for events and rental companies to use the new systems, Alcons has founded a new company, The Ribbon Network BV.

Since 2004, the Ribbon Network has co-operatively provided dry hire networking, factory direct support and international marketing for rental companies working with Alcons audio equipment, in particular its pro-ribbon line-array systems.

The Ribbon Network BV has formalised this arrangement, providing a framework for Alcons to rent LR28, LR18 and BC543 systems for dry-hire support to network members, coordinating these and other activities to ensure ample resources are available to support Alcons’ rental and touring partners.